2001 Acura Integra GSR Clutch Master and Slave Cylinder Bleeding, Dry System

Due to my current frustration it’s not a good time to post, but here it goes anyway. It might be funny and maybe I’ll get some help (both from my physician for working on my car so long, and from the forum community as well:lol: ). Here’s the story. First a little history. This is the first time I’m posting on this forum so excuse me for any errors due to my novice-status.. Been a huge fan for a long time. Became a bigger fan when Eric ended up purchasing the exact same model, year, and color vehicle in which I have been enjoying for over 3 years now. Replied to many of my comments on Youtube as well, (to my surprise). Eric if you’re reading this, thank you Yoda.
It was a 2001 Integra GSR with 139,000 miles and minor bolt-ons that I bought. Looks perfectly stock from the exterior. Was going to ask this question in the YouTube comment section under my username “mclarenv12” but I felt as though my juvenile days of Youtube-commenter-scum should be long behind me at this point in my life. Despite Eric’s excellent replies I thought best to post here, because well… I talk too much. Also, he probably has enough idiots to deal with in the comment section now that Trump is president (regardless if you support him or not). Not here to make this political but just wanted to point out people in our society are more illogical and angry than ever. YouTube is a place where most of the time a rational person of a high I.Q, who talks too much, is risking their vascular health by even reading the comments. It’s just too tempting to go-off on every single person about meaningless personal opinions. (that’s just my opinion now as a bitter 30-something, single man, whom the only thing that matters to him is his car, kind of like the movie “Christine”). Nevertheless, I thought this was a great opportunity to join ETCG.com. Perhaps, I can finally have some positive interaction on the internet for once in my miserable existence and stop acting like the guy from the movie “Christine”. Especially, since it’s regarding the subject I think about most often besides the opposite sex, food and, one-liners to tell the local town’s folk with missing teeth so they don’t shoot me, whilst intoxicated, for owning a Honda on the same road as their 3rd Gen Cummins diesel, with an obnoxious exhaust, Trump sticker, deer antlers, complete with confederate flag, and loud BOV. (J/K) Most of them are nice to me because my car appears stock. I also have blonde hair, blue eyes, pale due to my iron deficiency, and German background.) I rarely get called a “ricer” except from my brother who drives an Infiniti G35 and is a skinny, little hypocrite.

Ok.. *deep breath*. I love Eric the Car Guy’s patience for cars. I don’t have it, yet. I’m quite p’d off at my car at the moment. I know it’s silly considering it’s an inanimate object and all. Despite the fact I think of her as a sure-footed, little Asian girl. I dated a really hot Asian girl once but it was kind of scary. Also, something told me someone had abused her at some point in the past, then later lied about it. That’s exactly the case with most Hondas. Nonetheless, I bought the Integra GSR. I wanted a certain level of thrill in my mundane daily driving routine. So long as she looked clean on the exterior and passed the PPI, I was sold. I wanted a classic since I’m a child of the 90’s. I wanted something simple and not modern because I’m an avid DIY’er who understands the beauty of lightweight. The Asian girlfriend dumped me ( as well as a collection of other girls), my mom died of cancer, I lost my job of 6 years, and I received a small inheritance. After deciding not to commit suicide, a short time later, I spotted a clean 2001 Integra GSR for sale on Craigslist. When I called, the guy on the other end said the car was already sold. A month went by, looked at other cars, including 375 hp Porsche 944 Turbo with Lindsay Racing engine, a couple of s2000’s, and an 06′ 3.2 CL Type S. (so glad I didn’t buy them because I would have gone tits-up in a year in maintenance costs alone.) The Integra still had me lusting though. It mashed all my buttons as a fun, cheap, unique, daily driver. Seemed so much better handling and raw than an RSX TYPE-S. Out of nowhere the guy called me back and said the buyer backed out at the last minute. I jumped on it like a virgin in a wh$0re-House. I probably paid too much for the vehicle because it was my dream car and it needed minor work. I always wanted this car since I was age 16, and, it was the last model year, and, they’re so rare, and…and…. I’m an idiot who was going through a rough time so inevitably I made an impulse decision that has (by luck) turned out really well so far. (158.000 miles and counting) .

I walked around with gleaming eyes like the kid in “A Christmas Story” about to purchase the Red-Rider BB Gun. I thought to myself ” Well the *expletive* dumped me but at least I can now enjoy the other great things the Asian people have contributed to western culture besides their sexy, attractive, yet mentally unpredictable women, and that’s their fine automotive engineering”. ( I ate a whole goose on Christmas that year by myself). Since then, the car has nearly shot my eye out on countless occasions. However. I may be really screwed now though because either my throw-out bearing, input shaft bearing, or other stupid Honda bearing inside the transmission is making noise. I’ve yet to put GM syncromesh in it but did the Honda MTF last month. On top of that i cannot build any pressure in my clutch after replacing the CMC and CSC. .

Now to my question. YES, THERE IS A QUESTION. (sorry)

OK . So this is an embarrassing question..It’s going to sound stupid and make me appear like an idiot, but why stop now? So be it, I need help.. I read about 100 pages worth of internet data and tricks on bleeding the system of a clutch. For the love of everything that’s unholy I still have had no success getting clutch pressure after replacing the CMC and CSC. I have spent the past 3 days trying to bleed the hydraulic system on my car after replacing it. Recently my car has developed that infamous 3rd gear grind that all Hondas get. Weird, because my transmission is custom built about 5 years ago with carbon syncros, LS 5th gear, ACT 6 puck, Quaife LSD, and has only about 30K miles on it. Upon further inspection I found that my clutch master cylinder developed the same old leak that every person who ever owned a Honda or dated an Asian girl on her monthly cycle has experienced. The rear main seal and oil pan also has that signature Honda leak, very slight leaks, no matter what I do, (I’m thinking the pan is warped and my crank is old and not sealing right). So I popped in a new slave and master (keep in mind I never did this particular task before). Everything went smoothly enough. But I had to drain my radiator and pop my fan out because of my over-sized Godspeed aluminum radiator the previous owner had installed. Works great on hot days but makes access to the slave a pain. I bought a CMC and SMC at Autozone, bench bled the clutch master by having a neighbor hold their finger over the output valve while I pushed in the clutch. Fluid did push past his finger when I depressed. He used his finger as a valve holding the finger over the hole while I lifted the clutch up. When fluid was squirting out the output I figured “that’ll do pig” and told him to go inside, and attached the line.

Then I tried to bleed the system as described using the bottle technique described by Eric and in the Helms Manual. I was there for 4 *expletive* hours. After I used my last ounce of energy to clean up my tears I went back to Autozone with a heavy heart and a light wallet to pick up the MightVac vaccum bleeder. Spent another 2 hours trying to vaccum bleed the system . Still not so much as a mouse-droplit-of-urine will come out of the slave bleed screw. I think the pump is sucking through the threads on the bleed screw. I will try teflon tape tomorrow. I even have a Russel quick bleed screw and that didn’t work either. It had pressure before I replaced the system so it doesn’t have a leak. My new CMC is squirting so it is working, Right? Why the hell is it not building up pressure ?

So I have to bench bleed the darn Slave Cylinder to get enough pressure? I don’t see the old CMC leaking? The car drove before I unhooked the leaky original CMC. I cannot get it to build up enough pressure to suck the fluid through. Damn it. I see bubbles in the MightyVac reservoir when I hook up the vacuum but the reservoir at the master will not budge. I’m starting to think maybe there is a blockage in the line from the old CMC or deteriorating soft lines.

What else can I try doing? I am at whits end and about to call a shop to tow the buggar and just take the entire system apart.

WHY IS THIS HAPPENING ?

IT LOOKED SO EASY ON THE TUTORIALS !: :S

Any help would be appreciated so I can get my clutch pressure back. I know this has been covered approximately 5, 560 times on the internet, maybe more if you count Japan..

Please help.